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Author Archives: Kate Murray
Storytelling in senility: revealing dynamic personalities beneath the dementia
TweetOne of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t take down more of my mother’s stories before her slide into dementia accelerated. I would have liked to know more about her brief engagement to a Vietnamese diplomat, or the time … Continue reading
Posted in Health, media & communication, Music & arts, Older people, Social care, Uncategorized
Tagged health, music & arts, older people, social care
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“Enough is enough”: London teens campaign against knife crime
Tweet“We see 12-year-olds holding knives. They are doing it in daylight.” That’s the shocking reality of gang membership on south London’s Rockingham estate, as witnessed by 18-year-old Tanvir Hussain. On my way to meet Tanvir and his friends, I pick … Continue reading
Posted in Cuts, Social exclusion, Third sector, Young people, Youth crime
Tagged cuts, third sector, young people, youth crime
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“I remember when she could make herself a cup of tea”
TweetWhen I asked my kids to tell me how they felt about visiting their grandma, who has dementia, in her care home, they were honest. “It can be a bit spooky because there are a lot of people there who … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Mental health, Older people, Third sector, Uncategorized, Young people
Tagged charity, health, local government, older people, third sector, young people
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High society (and celbritocracy) backs big society
TweetIt was a sight that would have warmed the cockles of David Cameron’s heart. As soul singer Heather Small and ex-England footballer Sol Campbell mingled with guests at London’s Saatchi Gallery last week, they were showing just the kind of … Continue reading
Posted in Big society, Local government, Music & arts, Third sector, Uncategorized, Young people
Tagged big society, charity, music & arts, young people, youth
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Care: money talks but standards should matter more
TweetIt was when the care home manager started to talk about staff training that the alarm bells sounded for me. Not because I didn’t want the people who would be caring for my mother to be well trained – far … Continue reading
Life stories: freeing the minds of dementia sufferers
TweetIt was only a picture of a gurgling baby. But to one elderly woman with dementia, it meant the world. “She had dementia, was in a care home and was past the stage where she could really have a conversation,” … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Music & arts, Older people, Social care, Social enterprise, Third sector
Tagged health, music & arts, older people, social enterprise
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All in a good cause? Charity cold callers target the vulnerable
TweetMy mum has multiple dementia. Sadly, there’s nothing unusual about that. The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are now 750,000 people with some form of dementia in the UK. For my mum, it’s a gradual decline into the night. She … Continue reading
Posted in Cuts, Health, Older people, Third sector
Tagged charity, cuts, older people, third sector
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Housing’s X factor is tenancy support
TweetJane Forster is a realist. ‘Homeless people with chaotic lifestyles aren’t the most attractive tenants to private landlords,’ she says. It’s a realism that sometimes seems to be lacking among the policy-makers planning a bigger role for the private rented … Continue reading
Posted in Cuts, Housing, Local government, Private sector, Uncategorized
Tagged cuts, housing, tenants
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New York, LA, Gravesend; Kent gets its own US-style big society phone app
TweetGravesend doesn’t have too many claims to fame, aside perhaps from being the place where Pocohontas is buried and the former home of Bond girl Gemma Arterton. It never makes the national headlines – unless it’s for recording record high … Continue reading
